Layback

Pennsylvania just fell to Obama!!! 21 more electoral votes closer to a W (and I don't mean the bad kind)!

www.johnmccant.com 77 - 33 Obama per CNN 104 - 33 Obama per NBC. Me likey.

Thanks for sharing. The night photography on your site is amazing.

Bummer. R&I and Climbing just don't compare.

Love those MLH climbs. Thanks for sharing.

Here's the one I have on the way. Due in 5 weeks and well equipped:

Jim asked me to post these for him. They are pics of all three teams at the summit:

Trip: Forbidden Peak - East Ridge Direct Date: 9/7/2008 Trip Report: Full Trip Report with more photos at AlpineTarn.com A few pics (more on my site): Jim and I had been talking about doing a climb together since late spring but the pieces never really seemed to fall into place. Between road closures due to avalanches and various calendar conflicts we just couldn’t seem to get the stars to align. This weekend we got our chance. After a day filled with chores and domestic responsibilities (shopping for baby furniture) Jim and I met at the Smokey Point Starbucks. We grabbed a cup of Joe, moved Jim’s car to a Park & Ride and headed east on Highway 20. As always is the case on trips into the Cascades, conversation flowed easily. Before long we were on our way down the Cascade River Road eager to find a place to camp. We pulled into a campsite at about 9:00 p.m. and sorted gear. One 30m rope, a set of Aliens, a set of nuts, a large hex, and a Metolius cam rounded out our gear. As I crawled into my sleeping bag in the back of my car, Jim settled down on the ground for a good night’s sleep. Five minutes later there was a tap, tap, tap on my car. The Snaffle Hounds were running rampant. Jim crawled into the car with me and we talked a bit before dozing off to sleep. At around 2:00 a.m. I felt something run across my feet. Listening carefully with both ears I could hear the sounds of tiny feet making their way around my car. One of the little mother-f’ers had gotten in. Jim woke up to the sound of slamming car doors and shaking seats. He soon joined in to what would soon become a senseless fight. As the little critter had it’s way with my car, I tried to calm my mind and drift off to sleep again. At 3:50 a.m. the alarm went off. It was time to get up and go. Jim and I got up and organized ourselves. As I moved around I could see a tiny little mouse glaring at me. It seemed as though he was saying, “why did you wake me up?” An empty McDonald’s bag played the part of the lure and soon the rodent was on its way. We would soon be too. After taking care of some business Jim and I pulled up to the Boston Basin trailhead at 4:30 a.m. There we met another team that would be attempting the East Ridge Direct of Forbidden Peak in a day also. We said some quick hellos, and wished each other luck as we set off behind them on the trail. As the sun came up Jim and I looked towards Johannesberg Mountain, where Jim’s friend Tom was attempting the CJ Couloir. We yelled across the valley to Tom and wondered if he could hear us. Soon after the sun came up we crested the tree line and got our first looks at Boston Basin and Forbidden Peak. Still a fair distance away, the route was calling to us. I knew this was going to be a good one. As we walked along the moraine we were blasted by convection winds. My watch read 55 degrees Fahrenheit but the wind made it feel like a crisp fall day. We ducked behind a boulder at the high camp for a quick bite before continuing. A Snickers bar, some M&Ms and a PowerGel provided me with some quick sustenance as my body began to cool. Before long the cold began to set it so we headed off for the couloir that would take us to the ridge and the start of the climb. After ascending some icy snow slopes we reached the lone gendarme at 11:00 a.m. Jim and I loaded up my pack with the things we’d both want for the climb and we threw what we wouldn’t need into Jim’s pack to be picked up upon our return. At 11:15 we set off behind the party in front of us. Jim followed me for 2-3 pitches as we simul-climbed the ridge. Exposure was everywhere as I climbed, straddled, and sometimes crawled along the East Ridge. Jim took the lead simul-clmbing the next few pitches and eventually ascended an airy and exposed arete that felt about 5.6. Because of a logjam on the 5.7 gendarme, we decided to bypass that section via a short 5.6 traverse ledge. As the party before us rappelled the backside of the 5.7, Jim arrived at the belay ledge for the crux pitch and brought me in. The crux pitch (5.8) starts off at the base of a dihedral that leads to the final ridge to the summit (5.3). The remainder of the East Ridge Direct route in between 5.3 and 5.5 with a few 5.6 moves thrown in for fun. As Jim paid out the rope, I began my ascent. After a few moves, I reached a fixed pink tricam and added a yellow Alien to protect myself through the crux. I moved my left had up, then my feet, balanced and reached for the bucket hold a few feet higher. Before I knew it I was through the crux and Jim and I were letting out our “Yahoos!” I plugged in a few cams and brought Jim up. We high-fived each other and set off for the last 200 meters to the summit. We reached the summit at around 2:30 p.m. At the top we were joined by the party of two that had been in front of us the whole day as well as another party of two that had ascended the West Ridge. We looked around for the summit register but there wasn’t one to be found. Soon discussion came up around the best way for all six of us to get down. Jim and I had originally planned on simul-climbing down the North Ridge to a point where one can descend a gully that brings one to the East Ridge Descent Route. But since we had six people, three 60m ropes, and one 30m rope we decided that we’d all just go down the series of 5 rappels to the East Ridge Descent Route. After about 30 minutes of rappelling we found ourselves on the ledges that would bring us back to the lone gendarme. With some careful simul-climbing and routefinding Jim led the way as we made our way back to the lone gendarme and our packs. As we stepped on to the south side of the ridge at 4:00 p.m. I think we both commented how great it was to be back in the sun! By 6:00 p.m. we reached the base of the couloir and made our way through Boston Basin. We covered most of the trail in daylight and finished with headlamps at 8:45 pm. Gear Notes: Set of Aliens, Set of Nuts, One Big Hex, #2 Camalot

It would probably be doable in a day but it would be long for sure. 20 miles RT 5,500' of gain. A lot of people don't rope up on the Ruth Glacier, but I'm not one of them. There's a big bergschrund on the route - that's about it. The Ruth Glacier gets some decent crevasses but they are well to the right of the route. The traverse to Icy is a lot of downclimbing on somewhat loose rock (mild). Once one bottoms out (700 ft or so) it's a bit of traversing boulders and then a 700'+/- climb up a glacier (crevasses) at a really low-moderate angle.

Thanks for posting. This one has long been on my list.

Thanks for the kind words. I think that it's a route that doesn't get done all that frequently (the whole traverse to Icy that is). Had my partner not suggested it, I probably wouldn't have even considered it. I'm sure glad she did - it's a very enjoyable route!

Thanks guys. We were attempting an ice route - the NW Face. I guess I should have mentioned that.

Trip: Mt. Ruth/Icy Peak Traverse - Date: 8/16/2008 - 8/17/2008 Trip Report: Full trip report with photos at AlpineTarn.com. Some pics not available on my website: Our team met at the Ash Way P&R at 6:00 AM. This was going to be round two on Ruth and Icy. Our trip from two weeks earlier ended at the Glacier Ranger Station under rainy skies. This time we were blessed with a pretty good forecast. The weatherman had even removed the chance of thunderstorms on Sunday overnight while we slept and anticipated the climb. We started up the Hannegan Pass Trailhead at about 9:30 am. After about 5o minutes and two miles of distance we stopped to regroup. It was really hot and humid. Priscilla, who had been battling a cold, was having some problems. We split up some of her gear with the hope that higher ground would bring cooler temps and some releif for Priscilla. Unfortunately, that was just not to be. After another half hour we stopped again. This time Priscilla had come to the realization that the climb was just not in the cards for her this weekend. Lokesh selflessly agreed to give up his own chance at the climb to descend with Priscilla and return home. We had a quick chat about group gear, sorted loads, bid Lokesh and Priscilla farewell and continued on our way. We set off following the trail towards Hannegan Pass. We quickly gained ground as the trail switched back and forth through beautiful alpine meadows full of lush flowers and views of Mt. Ruth. We made Hannegan Pass in good time. After a nice break at Hannegan Pass we headed over to the nearby tarn and filled up our water bottles. While we were there, unbeknownst to me, Mark and Yet passed on by. Without knowing it was Mark and Yet, I watched as two people made their way up the steep drainage that is the "trail" above Hannegan Pass. As we made our way to the top ourselves, taking great care not to knock rocks onto one another below, I began to realize just who it was that I had been watching. We couldn't beleive that we had bumped into each other! We took some pictures, discussed plans, and set off in seperate groups bound for Ruth's summit. When we reached the base of the Ruth Glacier, we roped up and had a snack. Mark and Yet reached the base of the glacier shortly there after. As our two teams started up, I watched as Mark went for the summit. I managed to grab of few good pictures of him on his way. We stepped off on the snow and reached the rocky summit as Mark was leaving. Beautiful views 360 degrees views were laid out infront of us. We could see Shuksan, the Picket Range, Glacier Peak, and of course the next day's objective, Icy Peak. After spending about thirty minutes on the summit of Ruth, we decided that we had better get moving and get into camp. We dropped down the Ruth Glacier towards a notch in the ridge and contoured onto Ruth's shoulder. Here we found a large campsite so close to Shuksan that it looked like we could touch it as we ate our dinner and watched the sun set. We departed camp at 5:15 a.m. under party cloudy skies illuminated by a full moon hung in the sky next to Mt. Shuksan. The light provided by the moon was just enough to make the descent out of camp only partially sketchy. I was really glad that I had taken the time the night before to find the trail to the left of the death gulley that so many parties are rumored to take. Careful downclimbing for about 300' led to an easy descent onto the ridge followed by some more relatively minor downclimbing, snow-slogging, and rock-hopping before making our way onto the Icy Glacier. By 8:00 a.m. we were standing at the top of the Icy Glacier. We unroped and ascended talus on the other side of the ridge to the base of a 4th class scrable that trully felt 5'ish. Andre went up and set up a fixed line for the rest of the team to ascend. Before long we were all on the summit taking in the views, pleased that we had escaped the thunder storms that had threatened us from afar as we left camp. By 11:00 a.m., after rappelling and descending the talus, we were back on the Icy Glacier headed for camp. At camp by 2:00, we took our time to rehydrate and eat before packing up. Leaving camp at 3:15, we were back at the cars by 7:30 p.m.

Trip: Fissile Peak Attempt - Date: 8/8/2008 Trip Report: Full Trip Report with photos at AlpineTarn.com. A few teaser pics: MCEFUDR8O9M On Wednesday night, despite a 60% chance of rain in the forecast for Saturday, I was still feeling positive that the climb could go. After all, in it's planning stages the climb had already survived a road collapse along Route 99 in Canada the week before. It only seemed reasonable that weather would cooperate for us also. I guess I am an eternal optimist. Sometimes that works out for me and sometimes it doesn't. This climb would be of the latter variety. Our team met in Bellingham Thursday night after work. Jonathan and Ed took one car. Bartek and I took another. From there we drove to Whistler via the Route 99, otherwise known as the Sea-to-Sky Highway. A majestic road by day, the highway works it's way north from Vancouver to Whistler along the Straight of Georgia as it makes it's way past the Chief, (a popular Big Wall destination) en route to Whistler. By night it was just a long drive in the dark, making coffee and good conversation a necessity. We pulled into Whistler some time before midnight and climbed into the back of the car to get some sleep. Stretched out nicely I slept like a baby. I awoke in the morning to the sounds of Jonathan and Ed moving about in their car. Morning had come and it was time to be moving. We climbed out of the car, sorted out our gear, and before long we were on our way. The approach begins at 2,300' alongside the Whistler Express Gondola in the village of Whistler. The first 2.1 miles follow an abandoned road as one gains 1,100 feet alongside mountain bike trails. Upon reaching the end of the road the Singing Pass Trail begins (elevation 3,400'). From here the trail gains 2,300' as it works it's way up the valley through the forest passing an old mine before eventually reaching lush alpine meadows at Singing Pass exploding with Subalpine Lupine, Golden Daisey, Western Anemone, and Sitka Valerian. At Singing Pass (elevation 5,700') three trails comes together to form a "T" junction. The Musical Bumps Trail descends from Whistler Mountain (another possible approach) and meets the Singing Pass Trail and the Russet Lake Trail, which ascends 600 feet to a point above Russet Lake before dropping down to the lake, the Himmelsbach Hut, and campsites at 6,200. At the pass we sat and enjoyed a nice long break amongst the flowers and views of Blackcomb Mountain as we pondered the joyful prospect of reaching camp. The trail above Singing Pass switchbacks six or seven times through lush alpine meadows as views of Castle Towers Mountain and Isosceles Peak appear to the south. Soon thereafter one reaches the apex of the approach as the trail crosses through rocky terrain high above Russet Lake as Fissile Peak and Overlord Mountain come into view. Eager to reach camp we descended quickly and set up the tents. Camp is perched at the far end of the lake above a ravine that leads down to the Overlord Glacier. As such, it's a fairly windy place. The Himmelsback Hut, with a tin roof and room for at least six, is a good choice for avoiding the wind. Since we carried tents all the way up there, and three Canadians already occupied the hut, we figured that we might as well set up the tents behind walls constructed of rocks from the meadow. Bartek and I set up my Hillberg Nallo while Jonathan and Ed set up their REI Quarterdome just a short distance away. After that we cooked and rested. It was still early in the day (2:30). After eating and filtering water, Jonathan took a nap in the tent, while Ed and Bartek went down to scout out the route. I walked around and took some photos before finally settling on the idea of napping on my Thermarest in the sun! After the sun dipped behind the ridge I crawled into the tent and awaited Bartek's return. He soon came back with a report of large amounts of snow on the route and not a whole lot of ice. Unless we could dig down into the snow and find ice a short distance below, it was likely that the 8-10 ice screws we carried per rope team would be less valuable than we had hoped. Our four pickets per rope team would have to be used sparingly if the screws would not work. As we finished our discussion on the next day’s plans (under clear blue skies) I slowly began to drift off to sleep. At 3:50 a.m. Bartek's alarm went off. Mine soon followed at 4:00 a.m. As I wiped the sleepies from my eyes I looked out tent to find that clouds had moved in overnight. Though it formed a good layer, it was relatively high in the atmosphere (and not stuck on top of the peak) and nothing looked particularly ominous. We decided to finish packing and get going. Out of the tent by 4:30, I warmed myself as I waited for the others to finish preparing. By 5:00 a.m. we were on our way. Bartek led the way as Ed, Jonathan and myself followed him down the ravine to the lateral moraine formed by the Overlord Glacier. Just as we neared the base of the route the skies opened up. Looking at Ed and the others, as Jonathan declared that he was putting on his Gore-Tex, I said, "I have a really bad feeling about this." Ed regrettably felt the same way. After short discussion we agreed that it was time to abandon the climb and return to the tents. This way we could at least be somewhat dry as we slept away the morning in the comfort of our tents. Back at the tent it rained (sometimes relentlessly) as we slept. At 10:00, during a break in the weather, Jonathan gave out the call that it was time to "pack up and get out of here". I grabbed my gear and headed for the hut, where I could sort out my belongings. I would have to wait for the tent to be clear before I could begin to pack (as I put the tent in the bottom of my pack). One-by-one, Jonathan, Ed, and Bartek joined me in the hut. I soon had all of my belongings packed and we were on our way. As we left the hut, the rain slowed and eventually stopped as we reached the overlook high above the lake and descended the trail down to Singing Pass. Over the next two hours as we descended a total of 4,100' it rained intermittently. Despite the weather conditions I still found it possible to enjoy my hike out. Although we did not succeed in doing our climb it was great to visit a new area and see some mountains that my eyes had never previously enjoyed. I'll be back.

Who cares. Nice job!

Trip: Liberty Bell - SW Face (Beckey Route) Date: 7/20/2008 Trip Report: Full TR with photos at http://alpinetarn.com/libertybell.aspx Our team met at the Blue Lake Trailhead at 6:00 AM. The plan was to climb Liberty Bell via the Southwest Face (also known as the Beckey Route). It was good to see some familiar faces (Jay and Tom) and to make some new friends (Ken, Linsey and Robert). With Ken in the lead, we started up the trail at 6:30. As the trail gingerly made it's way up towards Blue Lake, the conversation flowed easily between old friends and new faces. We reached the turnoff for the climber's trail at about 7:30. After a short break to cool off and hydrate (expedited by the presence of mosquitoes) we began our move towards the base of the climb. As we worked our way up the gulley we came across three goats (a mother, a baby, and what looked like last years baby - now a "teen"). Happy that I brought along my DSLR, I pulled the camera out of it's chest harness and fired away. Having fully enjoyed this pleasant distraction we started off again. By 8:30 we were at the base climb racking gear and flaking ropes as we watched a pair of Canadians working the lower pitches of the route. Once the first pitch cleared, Linsey and I were ready and I started off. The first pitch, rated somewhere around 5.3, is fun climbing up a chimney/gulley and past a chock stone to a ledge. Though the stone felt cold in the shade it was good to be back on alpine rock. I was rewarded for my efforts when I reach the belay station, which was well situated in the sun with a views southeast towards Blue Lake and Glacier Peak. Linsey made short work of cleaning my pitch and soon she was with me on the ledge. Racked up and ready to go, Linsey set off to conquer the second pitch. Rated a solid, sustained 5.6, the second pitch works it way up a sometimes awkward and off-width chimney. Placing solid gear, and moving gracefully, my new friend climbed the pitch in style. She did it so gracefully in fact that I was amazed at the technical difficulty and I grunted my way up the pitch carrying our pack. When I reached the belay ledge I was all too happy to have a seat and rehydrate. After a short break it would again be my turn to lead. As I looked at the third pitch, what lay before me appeared to be both well protected and insanely fun climbing on very solid rock. I soon found out that I was right! I started up a crack on the left, working foot and hand jams through a crux to far left of an overhanging wall. Unfortunately, I had misinterpreted the guidebook's description and I found myself on the far left of a feature that I should have been to the far right of. I had somehow bypassed the crux (5.6) via a more difficult route. (Admittedly the hand-jam section felt more like 5.8). Since downclimbing didn't seem like a fun option, I had Linsey take the rope tight as I pendulumed over the crack leading around the corner to the right. A few moves later and I was around the corner at the top of pitch three ready to bring Linsey up. After Linsey made short work of the third pitch, she set off to conquer pitch 4, which is basically low 5th class climbing except for an unprotected 5.7 move up a friction slab (that sounds a lot scarier on paper than it really is). In reality, after a high step onto a knob, it's an easy reach over the ledge to grab a big old bucket hold. It was a quick scramble to the top from there. Linsey and I got to spend over two hours on the summit as we waited for Jay and Robert who got held up helping Tom with some issues. We used the time to nap and take photographs under a clear sky on a bluebird day. Great climbing on a great route! Truly a classic! Gear Notes: Standard Alpine Rack. Brought along a #3 and #3.5 Camalot. Used one (if not both) on the second pitch.

Nice job. I think you guys were the one breaking camp on Saturday when we were coming up. We got hosed on the weather: http://alpinetarn.com/mtolympus.aspx

Lowlander - Thanks for the report. That's refreshing to hear. I know we have a lot more snow this year but the report I got seemed a bit over the top.

Heard from the rangers that there is a TON of snow on the trail to Glacier Meadows beyond 9 mile camp. It seems that only one party has been successful to date this year. They actually had to belay through some avy slopes on the way to the final camp. I have plans to climb it this weekend. Will let you know what becomes of it.

Spotly - If I were to do the climb over again, I'd bring Aliens Green - Purple, Camalots #3 and #3.5, a set of nuts, and a pink tricam. On the first pitch I placed 4 cams, a nut, and I slung a tree. On the second pitch I placed three cams and the would-be tricam. Good luck on the climb. The climbing is actually pretty enjoyable. It's a lot of work to get there for 1.5 pitches of climbing so I'm not sure I'd do it again, but it's probably worth doing once. Ishmael - Beckey doesn't really offer a good description, but if you go onto the Mountaineers website and download the Basic Climbs Guide (pdf) there a good route description with gear recommendations that are spot on. Shoot me a PM if you'd like a hand locating it.

Thanks Rad. After ten years of climbing, it's about time I took a more significant leader fall. Next time less yearding, more pink tricams...

Trip: Yellow Jacket Tower - Date: 6/1/2008 Trip Report: Fullt trip report with photos at: http://alpinetarn.com/yellowjackettower.aspx Alex, Brian, Peter and I met in Monroe at 6:00 AM and lazily drove east over Stevens Pass. Full of blossoming trees and melting snow, spring has most certainly come to the pass. After a nice ride with great conversation we arrived in Leavenworth where we met Dennis and Kent at 8:00 AM. With our group fully assembled we drove to 6.1 miles down Icicle Creek Road to a turnoff just past a bridge. We began our approach to the base of Yellow Jacket Tower at 8:15 AM. After leaving the cars, we crossed a bridge and walked along a gravel road for a brief stint before finding the climber’s trail on the right. We walked blissfully through a purple meadow of blossoming Lupine. The fun stopped there… The trail from the meadow to the base of the climb gains 1,500 feet in what I would estimate to be a mile or less. We made our quad and calf-burning ascent gaining that ground in less than an hour. At the base of the rock we rested, ate and cooled off while we enjoyed the fact that the approach was over. After that, Alex and I scoped out a route up into the gully. Normally one goes right around a large chock stone (actually a boulder) and then back left. Unfortunately the easy route around the obstacle was wet so we had to take a more extreme route to the right over 5th class terrain, which required a belay. I led out and brought Alex in. Peter, Kent, Brian and Dennis soon followed. Once around the obstruction, we worked our way up the gully past rappel anchors to the base of the hidden gully that marks the entrance to the climbing. Alex and I again tried to scope out a route. Alex had almost made it around a second obstruction when his footing suddenly failed (on sand) causing him to slide down the small slab he was on. An on-the-fly spot from Dennis and myself stopped him. I gave it a quick try and decided that the sand on the slab was going to cause problems. Alex gave me a quick belay and I covered the ground placing a few cams as I moved up. At the base of the actual climb, I used a tree as an anchor and established a hand line allowing others to cover the terrain aided by a prussik. We hung our packs on an anchor I built using my pink and brown tricams. The climb itself is two pitches of 5.4 rock climbing with reasonably good protection. The first pitch was very enjoyable. I worked my way up a crack in the middle of an open book placing protection as I went. After about 80 feet and, a bit of unprotected but easy face climbing, I reached a belay ledge and brought Alex up. From there we scrambled up to a broad ledge at the base of the final tower. After a quick break to get our rope sorted, Alex belayed me again as Brian and Dennis made their way up the first pitch. The second pitch, which is only about 35 feet of climbing to the top of the tower, is notorious for being poorly protected. After placing 3 cams and gaining about 25 feet of ground, I reached what many believe to be mental crux of the climb. It’s a some-what airy 10 foot section of 5.3 rock that can be protected by placing a pink tricam in a small pocket. It was then that I realized the error in my ways. Like a total jackass, I had used my pink tricam (that the guide book calls for) to make sure out packs were secure! “Well at least my water will be there waiting for me”, I thought as I cursed my stupidity. I tried to place a red tricam in the pocket that was perfectly designed for the pink piece of protection and it nearly fit. As I yarded on the red tricam, trying to convince myself it would hold a fall, I quickly realized that there was significant evidence to conclude that it would indeed not. With all the force I could muster, I ripped the tricam from the rock and sent myself cart-wheeling backwards over the ledge. It’s the most time I’ve ever been airborne in a lead fall. I actually had time to realize I was falling, yell to Alex, and think to myself, “This is not going to be pretty.” I hit the ledge, left butt-cheek first, and toppled over. I landed in a way that left me hanging nearly upside down over the ledge looking down a face 100 feet. I think I actually had time to aim my fall, push off and avoid the ledge but I really don’t remember actively thinking it. Miraculously, I only had a few cuts on my palm, wrist, hand and butt and I did not appear to be injured. As I looked at the tricam still in my hand, I shouted to Alex that I was okay and mentally prepared myself to finish the last ten feet. With my two of my fingers and the palm of my left bleeding a little bit from being put through the cheese grader that is granite, and a little bit of shock from what had happened, I started to think negative thoughts and lost my nerve. I decided that it would be wise to come down, have a snack and think about things. As I ate my snack, and thought about my tricams at the base of the climb, Brian and Dennis joined us on the ledge. Alex and I recounted the experience for them. Poor Brian had to hear my tale as he prepared to lead his way to the top. As Dennis belayed, Brian did a great job of leading the final pitch without the necessary tricam. He tagged the summit and Dennis lowered him down. As I sat there and assessed my mental and physical state, the two changed places and Dennis tagged the top using Brian’s top rope. As Peter and Kent made their way to the large ledge where we were all seated on, I decided that a top rope was sounding pretty darn good. When Brian lowered Dennis I tied into the rope and Brian belayed me so I could tag the top. Not wanting to mess with Peter’s head the way I had assumingly messed with Brian’s head, I told Peter that I was just going to have a look at something that Brian had pointed out. I reached the summit and Brian lowered me so that Peter and Kent could have their turn. The pair made their ascent flawlessly and we started our rappel down the climb and gully towards the cars. Brian and Alex went ahead to set up the rappel ropes as I recounted the story to Peter and Kent. Peter was happy that I had kept the details to myself. Glad to be on our way out, we worked our way down the the climb and the gully through a series of four rappels. Soon after we found the climber’s trail. Happy to be done with the technical portion of the climb, we descended quickly and found our way back to the cars. Gear Notes: A pink tricam fits the small pocket on the last ten feet of the climb really nicely.

I've used the Tibloc system before myself. I've recently converted over to the simple prussik system because ultimately the prussiks are more "multi-use" l for the weight.

I picked up a 30 M 9 mm Sterling rope last year at Feathered Friends for ~ $115 last year. Nice thing about a 9 mm, in addition to being a bit more fat, is that if need be, you could belay a technical pitch with it. While a 8 mm rope is safe for glacier travel, like others here, I don't like it's ability to cut into the lip or the fact that ascending it can be a bit trickier. One could also buy a 60 M 9 mm rope for less than $200 and cut it in half with another "investor".

Am I a horrible person for hoping that the Chinese burn down their Camp III accidentally (assuming there are no resulting injuries or deaths)? Their arrogance always amazes me.